College of Fine Arts and Production

GCU’s effort to produce cloth face masks has been joined by College of Fine Arts and Production costume designer Nola Yergen, who has recruited several GCU Hotel employees to add pleating. It makes the coverings fit more like traditional hospital masks, but it’s important for an even bigger reason. “This is about teamwork,” Yergen said.

Mykhal Polite was at the starting line to the rest of his life when COVID-19 halted life as we knew it. Not long before he was slated to start a job as a gold rush re-enactor for Alaskan Cruise Lines, the pandemic put the theatre student’s plans on hold. Polite has used the stay-at-home time to work on casting letters and is video auditioning for productions such as a “Power Rangers” reboot.

For some ground classes, the transition to online seemed as though they were a perfect pair. But for others, instructors had to get a little more creative. That’s exactly what Mark Fearey did when he utilized the GCU Recording Studio to create quality audio for students doing their recitals.

A group of seniors in the Dance Department felt blessed to have been at the American College Dance Association’s West Conference when they found out about the cancellation of their final Spring Dance Concert. They got to perform together one last time after being chosen for the conference’s gala. “The seniors in the cast, knowing it was their last performance as members of GCU’s Ethington Dance Ensemble, gave their most heartfelt performances to date. It was a bittersweet moment, to be sure,” said Susannah Keita, Director of the Dance Department.

It wasn’t the ending they had wanted, but the Ethington Theatre department wasn’t going to let COVID-19 rob them of the opportunity to experience the final production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.” So what did they do? On the final night of rehearsal last week, shortly after receiving the news that all campus events would be canceled for the remainder of the semester, the cast performed what would be their only run-through of the anticipated production right then and there, with no costumes, a half finished set and other production details. It was an experience students won’t soon forget.

Tonight is the last chance this spring to view the choreography talents of students in the College of Fine Arts and Production’s dance program. The Spring Student Spotlight Concert, at 7:30 in Thunderground, features 17 student pieces. “The show is very diverse, and it shows a lot of different facets to dance,” said Bekki Price, Program Development Specialist for the College of Fine Arts and Production. “It’s a really fun and unique way to come get exposed to the arts and what we have to offer at GCU.”

The famed works of playwright William Shakespeare make their way into Ethington Theatre every year, but the production of “The Tempest” features a few new wrinkles by the play’s director, College of Fine Arts and Production Dean Claude Pensis. For one thing, it’s a modernized version. For another, it is the first time real water is part of the set. And the lighting features an uncommon method of pixel mapping.

Film students were given the opportunity to hear words of wisdom and encouragement at this semester’s Digital Film Production Alumni Panel. Alumni Maya James, Sam Erdmann and Athena Bates shared their experiences with the next generation of GCU film students and gave some advice on how to make it in the business.

There was no shortage of Christmas cheer last week for the residents of the Arizona Training Program in Coolidge as well as the students of Sierra Academy of Scottsdale, as GCU’s Critical Mass used their voices to serve students and adults with special needs. Critical Mass member Sam Brown, whose older brother, Hunter, is a student at the Sierra Academy of Scottsdale, says it brought a lot of smiles to the faces of his brother and his classmates. “It was honestly such a beautiful experience seeing all these children, who are special needs, and just how happy they were,” he said.

The Senior Design Showcase on Tuesday night featured 33 students, many of whom have been active in obtaining internships and several who already have received employment offers. Sheila Schumacher, Director of the Digital Design program, said GCU graduates are making an impact in Arizona but also are taking their skills to other parts of the country.